Commentary from National Space Society leaders and members on ongoing space missions

August 20, 2007

Endeavour to Try for Tuesday Landing

Wary of the effect of Hurricane Dean currently barreling through the Caribbean, NASA mission managers have ordered the Shuttle Endeavour to try to land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday midday.

The concern was not for Kennedy, which is well out of the way, but rather Mission Control in Houston, which had been on some early storm tracks. While Dean now seems headed for Mexico, NASA's prudence seems appropriate.

Safe travels to the crew and to NASA's Educator-Astronaut Barbara Morgan in particular. The extensive analysis conducted on the tile damage leaves us feeling comfortable with NASA's decision to forgo repairs. That said, the knowledge that there is a small crack in the protective underbelly of the shuttle can only make our astronauts' journey home somewhat more anxious.